Gar-coupling



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-#Sheet 1.`

A. R. HEATH.

GAB, GOUPLING.

No. 392,801.. Patented Nov. 13, 1888.

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A. R. HEATH. CAB. GOUPLING.

Patented Nov. .13

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ALFRED R. HEATH, OF COVINGTON, INDIANA.

CARMCOUPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Leners Patent No. 392,801, dated November 13,1889,

Application led Muy 19, 1888. Serial No. 274,422. (No model.)

To all whom t may concern.-

Be it known that I, ALFRED R. HEATH, of Covington, in the county of Fountain and State of Indiana, have invented a new and Im proved Oar-Ooupling, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to car-couplings, and has for its object to provide a cancoupling with apparatus connected therewith so constructed and arranged that the coupling of cars will be effected automatically, and the uncoupling may be made from either side or top ot a car or from the cab of the locomotive.

The invention will be set forth in the following description and pointed out in the claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in Which similar figures of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the views.

Figure 1 illustrates the end of a car provided with the invention. Fig. 2 is a side view,withparts in vertical section and broken away,of draw-heads in coupled position according to this invention; and Fig. 3 is a plan view thereof with parts broken away.

In carrying` out the invention I employ drawheads 1, open at the bottom, as at 2, and having at their front ends horizontal rods or pins 3, upon which are loosely pivoted the coupling-hooks l. r)The latter taper downward from their pivotal point to their ends, and are formed with acounterweighted end, 5, and a hook, 6,' having an extended inclined portion, 7, to adapt the hook 6 for engagement with its coupling-pin 3, as hereinafter more particularly set forth.

By means of the draw-head 1 being formed with an open bottom, 2, free play is given to the movement of the weighted end of the hook 4.' In order to hold the hook l in or out of position for coupling, or to uncouple the hook, the rear end thereof is preferably connected by a chain, 8, passing up through an opening, 8', in draw-head,with a rod, 9, extending up through guides 10 to the top of a car, 11, and terminating in a suitable handle, 12. In lieu of a rod, 9, a Wire may be used.

The invention is shown as applied to the end of a freightcar. The rod 9 is held in elevated position by means of a suitable projection, 13, having an eye, 14, which engages with any one of several hooks, 15, on the car, and is held therein by a spring, 16, on the car pressing against the rod 9. Spring 16 also holds eye 14c out from engagement with any of hooks 15 when rod 9 is in operation. The hook 4t may be also operated from either side of the car by means of levers 17, pivoted to the car 11 by meansof pins 18, projecting through slots 19 in the levers 17, to allow free play of the latter, and pivotally connected at their inner ends to lugs 20 on rod 9. The levers 17 project through keepers 21, are operated by handles 22, extending out from the side of the car, and are held, when the rod 9 is raised, by engagement with one of hooks 23. A spring, 24, on the car presses against the lever 17 and holds it out of engagement with any of the hooks 23 when lever 17 is operated.

Where the invention is applied to a passengercar,the levers 17 and their connections are located beneath the platform and the rod 9 may beincased in atube or other suitable covering. Then the rod 9 is raised and held up by the eye 14 engagingahook, 15, the weighted end 5 of hook 4 will be raised up within the draw-head 1, and the hook 6 held out of position for coupling. The hook 4 is located in position for coupling by releasing rod 9, the Weighted end 5 of coupling-hook 4 thereby dropping down and causing the hook end 6 to be carried up into position for coupling. There being a couplinghook, 4, on each of two drawheads 1 brought together, and the couplinghooks 4. being located on their rods 3, so as to overlap or pass each other, the points 25 of the extended inclined portion 7 of hooks 6 will engage the opposite rod or couplingpin 3 as the draw-heads 1 approach, and a double coupling will be thereby effected.

The coupling will be automatic by means of the weighted ends 5 of the coupling-hooks et causing the hooks 6 to be thrown into engagement with the pins 3.

To provide for the automatic coupling of cars Where the draw-heads are of different heights, the couplinghook is held inthe proper position by the adjustment of rod 9 through the connection of projection 14 with one of the hooks 15.

The uncoupling of all the cars on a train may be effected from. the cab of the locomotive by the following means: The weighted ends 5 of the coupling-hooks 4 of a train are connected to Wires 26,Which pass up through opening 8', and are connected by a cord, 27, to a cord or Wire, 28, passing over a pulley, 29, on the ends of the cars and leading to the cab of the locomotive. InY lthis way it will be seen that il' an accident occurs to one or more of the ears of a train the remainder of the ears will be prevented from being aieeted thereby by the engineer uncoupling all the cars of the train simultaneously by means of the cord 28.

The coupling-hooks L are provided with a hole, 80, for an ordinary coupling-pin, so that a hook, 4., may be used with an ordinary coup4 ling-pin and draw-head.

It will thus be seen that by means o1" this invention a simple, effective, and durable apparatus is provided, whereby the couplings may be adj usted for automatic coupling and the uncoupling done from the side or top oi' a l car, or thc uneoupling of the entire train controlled by the engineer.

Having thus described my invention,what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-n 1. The combination, with the draw head and the coupling-hook pivoted therein, of the vertical rod or bar 9, having a ilexible connection at its lower end with said hook and a horizontal apertured projection, 13, the vertical series of hooks l5, projecting toward bar 9, and the spring 16, pressing the bar 9 outward from the end of the ear and its apcrtured projection out of alignment with the hooks 15, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination, with the vertically-sliding coupler-operating bar 9, of the side levers,

17, pivoted at their inner ends to said bar and having longitudinal slots 19 between their ends, the pins 1S, passing through said slots into the car, the plate springs 21, secured to the car under the bars 17 and throwing them outward, and the plates 21, each having a series of downward-extending hooks, 23, under which said levers may be snapped, substantially as set forth.

3. rlhe combination, with the bottomless draw-head and the pivoted coupling hook therein having a weighted rear end, 5, of the vertical rod or bar 9 on the end of the ear, the chain S, connecting the rear end of the coupling-hook with the lower end of bar 9, the horizontal projection 13 on one side of the upper endof bar 9 and having a vertical eye,

14, the plate spring 16 between the bar and` car, the vertical series of upwardprojecting hooks 15, to be engaged by said eye, the opposite levers 17, pivoted at their inner ends to the bar 9 and having longitudinal slots 19, through which fulcrum-pins 1S pass, the plate springs 24 under the said levers, and the series of downward-projeeting hooks 23, substantially as set forth.

ALFRED It. HEATH. Witnesses:

H. I-I. SrrLwnLr., W. H. Cox. 

